Automatic pump and agitator.



v c. E. HOPKINS.-

AUTOMATIC PUMP AND AGITATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. I914.

1,4,989n Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

M U 12M.

C. E. HOPKINS.

AUTOMATIC PUMP AND AGITATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. H 1914.

Patented Oct. 16,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 c. E. HOPKINS.

AUTOMATIC PUMP AND AGITATOR'.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. n. 1914.

Patented 001:. 16,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

cfQ W A FA F I" CHARLES E. HOPKINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC PUMP AND .AG-I'I'A'I'OR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 16, 1917.

Application filed February 17, 1914. Serial No. 819,210.

and useful Automatic Pumpand Agitator,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for the purpose of handling and mixing soft metal or other substances, and is particularly intended for use in casting stereotype plates.

The principal objects of the invention are to secure a continuous flow of metal through the pump spout to and through an overflow, for the purpose of maintaining the metal in the spout at a given height; and to provide means for controlling the overflow, and means for regulating the controlling means; means for causing the metal to advance above the overflow to and out through a nozzle under a given pressure, and automatic means for stopping said flow after discharging a stated amount.

'The invention is fully shown in the ac:

companying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pump constructed according to this invention located in a pot positioned in a furnace, the pot and furnace bein sectioned.

Fig. 2 is a plan of t e same.

Fig. 3 is a front view showing only so much of the pump mechanism as will be seen above the pot.

Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4.4: of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the pump with a portion of the spout and the overflow sectioned on the same line.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gear pump, mechanism and shows the agitator blades located in the large gear, sectioned on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the pump casing. The pump and agitating mechanism is held suspended within and at one side of the pot 10 by rods 11, extending down to the pump case 12 from a shelf 13, forming part of a bracket 14, fast on the pots rim.

The pump mechanism consists of two gear wheels 15 and 16, operating in mesh at the rear of a receiving chamber 17 The larger gear 15 is mounted on a stud fixed in the pump casin 12 and is provided with angular blades 1% instead of spokes. Each blade draws the liquid substance through and upward as the gear wheel is revolved and thereby mixes the said substance or metal by agitating it. The opposite. gear wheel 16 is made about one half the size of the agitator gear wheel 15, and is mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft 19, extending up through a bearing in the casing 12,

and through a bearing formed in the bracket shelf 13. A bevel gear 20 is mounted on the upper end of the gear shaft 19, and a like gear 21 is made fast on-a cross shaft 22, which operates in bearings on the shelf 13. To one end of this cross shaft is fast a driving pulley 23, through which the pump gears are kept in constant rotation? The pump case 12 is formed with the receiving chamber 17. (Fig. 6). The gear wheels are solocated that a portion .of their toothed faces extends within the receiving chamber, the walls 25 and 26 of which are made to overlap a portion of the top and bottom sides of the gear rims, and the vertical'walls 27 and 28 engage the faces of the teeth. By this means the revolving of the gear teeth toward the receiving chamber draws the molten metal between the teeth,

past the walls 27 and 28, into the chamber, and owing to the gears being in mesh the metal is prevented from. passing out with the teeth.

The receiving chamber 17 extends up and is provided with a seat 29, in which is positioned one end of a pivoted spout 29', formed so as to curve out over theedge of the pot 10; the loose end of the, spout is provided with a discharge nozzle 30, shapedto conform with the opening of a casting box.

the pump gears into the chamber, and up the spout to the overflow, down which it falls, it will be seen that the closing of the lot valve would stop the flow and. causethe 7 metal to advance up the spout and out ofthe nozzle. V The valve is closed by raising the plunger 32 into engagement with its seat on the overflow 31, whereupon, as above stated, the

. metal rises and advances along the spout .to the loose endof a pivot arm 36.

and out of the nozzle 30.

The valve plunger 32 is operated automatically through the medium of a face cam wheel and a spring, as follows:

The valve plunger 32 is mounted on an extending arm 34, fast on a slide connecting rod 33, extending upward and through a bearing 35 formed near the lower end of the spout 29*, and the top of the rod is fi%}e1d e pivot end of this arm 36 is formed with an upright extension 37 which reciprocates vertically in a bearing 38 fixed to one side of the shelf 13. On the top of this extension 37 is mounted a'roller 39, which is held up against the under face of a cam wheel 40 by a spring 43. This wheel is mounted on a short shaft. 41, operating in a bracket bearing 42, fast on the shelf 13. Beneath, and axially alined with the extension 37, is the compress spring 43 held under the tension by a collar 44 mounted on the spouts pivot pin 44.

In operation each revolution of the cam wheel 40 releases the roller 39, whereupon the spring 43 forces the valve plunger up, and thereby closes the overflow outlet. This action confines the metal in the spout and causes it to rise and advance to and through the nozzle 30. The discharge continues while the low portion of the cam Wheel is passing over the roller, but as the said roller engages with the inclined path of the cam wheel the roller is pressed down against the action of the spring 43, and the valve plunger, through its connections with the roller 39, is forced down to the open position. Then the metal is free to flow out of the spout back into the pot, through the overflow passage. This assists in keeping the metal or other liquid thoroughly mixed.

The pump supply is made far greater than the capacity of the nozzle outlet so as to get the metal quickly to, and thereafter push it under a given pressure through, the nozzle.

As soon as the spout is filled with the metal and the pressure becomes greater than the springs action, the metal pushes the plunger down sufficiently to allow the surplus to escape back into the pot. The pressure is adjusted by raising or lowering the spring tension collar 44 on the spout pin 44.

The cam wheel 40 is caused to revolve by a worm wheel 45 fast on the cam shaft 41. This worm wheel meshes with a worm.46, mounted loosely on the cross driving shaft 22. One end face of the worm 46 is formed with clutch jaws 47. Facing these jaws 47 on the shaft 22 is a co-acting slide clutch jaw 48 made to revolve with the shaft by a feather key." It is provided with a channel or groove in which is located a roller 50,

mounted on a rock arm 51, which arm is gages with a pin 56, fixed in the side face of the worm wheel 45; (see Fig. 4).

It will be seen that the action of raising the long end of the trip lever 55 pushes the short end down out of engagement with the pin, and allows the spring to pull the clutch into engagement. Owing to the driving" shaft 22 being in constant motion the engagement of the clutch jaws starts the worm and connecting worm wheel to revolve, carrying along the cam wheel 40. As the worm wheel nears the completion of one revolution the pin again engages the trip lever and forces the clutch jaws out of engagement, (see Figs. 1 and 4). A projection 59 is formed near the bottom of the rod 57, which is engaged on its under side by a short lever 60, mounted on a rock shaft 61, located in bearings 62 on the spout 29"; also mounted on this rock shaft 61 is a short operating hand lever 63. The hand lever is positioned over the nozzle so as to be handy for the operator who, when a charge of metal is desired, turns the hand lever, which action pushes the short lever 60 up under the projection 59, which lifts the rod 57 attached to the trip lever 55, forcing the short end of the same from-engagement with the trip pin, which act allows the clutch jaws to come into engagement and starts the cam wheel to rotate, thereby closing the overflow valve, whereupon the casting operation starts.

The cam wheel 40 is made in two parts, 40 and 40*, one 40 is fast on the shaft 41 and 40 is adjustable through the length of ping the pump mechanism and making several discharges through the nozzle into the pot. For this purpose I have arranged the spout so that it rests in the seat 29 of the pump casing 12. It is held in position by the spout pin 44 passing through a bracket 72, fast on the side of the bracket 14. When in casting position it is fixed by lock bolt .73 threaded into the spout and passing through a slot in the extension 74 .on bracket 72.

A protection shield or-guard 75 is provided and arranged to circle about the outside of the gears 15 and 16. The guard is suspended from the pump casing 12, so as to leave an opening between said casing and the gears. The opening is provided so that metal passing by the agitator blades 18 in gearwheel 15 can pass out under the easing 12. To prevent too much agitation of the metal at its surface the pump casing is made to cover the whole of gear wheel 15, and act to deflect the metal as it is drawn up and through the agitator. Too much agitation on the surface produces more or less dross, and it is to overcome the surface disturbance that the deflector is provided.

Although I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware of the fact that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited in these respects, but what I do claim is 1. The combination with a melting pot of means for agitating molten material in said pot, and means for confining such agitation beneath the surface of said material for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a pump, an agitator, and means for preventing substance passing up through the agitator from disturbing the surface of the substance.

3. The combination with a melting pot, of means for agitating the molten material therein, a pump casing covering the agitating device to confine the agitation of the molten material beneath the surface thereof.

4. The combination with a pumping means ofa spout having a discharge nozzle and an overflow outlet, positive means periodically opening, and yielding means for closing, theoverflow.

5. In a pump, the combination of a spout, a discharge nozzle, an ov rflow, a wall between the spout and over ow, the top of the wall being located at a lower level than the nozzle, means whereby the pumped substance is kept above the level of said wall, and means for intermittently advancing the substance above said wall toward the nozzle.

6. The combination of a continuously operating pump provided with a discharge noz-. zle, means for causing the flow of substance through the pump and nozzle at a uniform pressure, means for controlling the pressure, and means for stopping said flow.

7. In a pump the combination with means for agitating liquid, and means for pumping and delivering it, ofmeans for automatically regulating the pumping means to receive intermittent discharges of a given quantity.

8. In a pump the combination of means within for maintaining the pumped sub stance at a given elevation, and means for advancing a fixed amount of the substance beyond that level. I

9. In a pump, the combination of a receiving chamber and means for forcing metal into the receiving chamber, with a nozzle connected with the receiving chamber for receiving metal therefrom, said nozzle having an overflow pipe which is normally open, by which metal can be discharged so as to prevent it from flowing through the nozzle, a valve for closing said overflow pipe, and a spring for forcing the valve closed, whereby the spring will yield and the valve open when there is an excess of pressure within said overflow pipe.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pump casing having a receiving chamber, a pair of intermeshing gear Wheels arranged at the entrance of said chamber and adapted to rotate in a direction to force metal into said receiving chamber, one of said wheels having inclined vanes for agitating the metal.

11. In a pump, the combination of a receiving chamber and means for forcing metal into the receiving chamber, of a nozzle connected with the receiving chamber for receiving the metal therefrom, said nozzle having an overflow pipe normally open by which the metal can be discharged instead of flowing out through the nozzle, a valve for closing said overflow pipe, and means for operating said valve comprising a rod, a spring closing the valve, and a cam for forcing the rod in opposition to the spring said cam having a low concentric portion in position to permit the spring to force the valve closed.

12. In a pump, the combination of a receiving chamber and means for forcing metal into the receiving chamber, of a nozzle connected with the top of the receiving chamber for receiving the metal therefrom, said nozzle having an overflow pipe normally open at the bottom by which the metal can be discharged instead of flowing out through the nozzle, a valve for closing said overflow pipe, and means for operating said valve comprising a rod extending upwardly from the valve, a spring for forcing the rod up and closing the valve, and a cam for forcing the rod down in opposition to the spring'said cam having a concentric portion in position to permit the spring to force the yielding means for forcing said rod into a position to close the valve, and a cam for forcing the rod into a position to open the valve in opposition to the spring, said cam comprising a concentric portion of a minimum radius and an enlarged portion for operating the rod and having an adjustable member by which the extent of the enlarged portion can be adjusted.

14. The combination with a pump having an overflow opening, of a valve for closing said opening, a rod for operating said valve, and a cam for forcing the rod into a position to open the valve, said cam comprising a concentric portion and an enlarged portion for operating the rod and having an adjustable member by which the extent of the enlarged portion can be adjusted.

15. In a pumping device, the combination with a receiving chamber, and rotary means for filling the same, of a driving shaft, means connected with the driving shaft for operating said rotary means, a discharge nozzle having an overflow pipe therefrom which when open prevents the discharge of material through the nozzle, a valve for closing said overflow pipe to permit the flow of metal through the nozzle, and means operated by said shaft for positively opening said valve.

16. The combination with a continuously operating rotary pump, of a spout and nozzle together having a definite capacity for receiving liquid from the pump, and means for periodically emptying the upper part of the spout while the pump continues in operation so as to keep the metal moving toward the nozzle but prevent further dis charge into the nozzle.

17. In a metal pump, the combination with a metal pot, of a pump therein having a seat constituting an outlet for metal'and also constituting a pivot rest, and a nozzle having its inlet resting in said seat and adapted to be turned thereon, a spout pin concentric With said seat and constituting CHARLES E. HOPKINS.

Witnesses LLEWELLYN LLOYD, B. W. STOEBER. 

